Wars of the Past
by skywalker05
Summary: Luke daydreams during ANH about what his father's adventures might have been like. Oneshot.


_This is a random fic' that I wrote in the summer when I had nothing better to do. I published it mostly because someone I reviewed (sorry Lady'; I've forgotten your sn) brought back some of my thoughts about characterization. Enjoy. _

Luke Skywalker did not think about daydreaming so much as just doing it. Here, what felt like and should have been a day into the _Millennium Falcon_'s journey to Alderaan, it was hard not to reflect on past moments that did not have sour pain attached. The pain beat like his heart and said it was only chance that he was still alive and had seen such wonders as Tatooine from orbit, or heard the name Jedi Knight.

Back before all this he had dreamed and plotted stories about heroes, on long school days or out working on some machine on the fringes of the Dune Sea, because on Tatooine, the whole blasted planet, when you weren't allowed to take the speeder to go see your friends and it was too hot to step outside and far too boring to spend time on unnecessary work, there was nothing else to do.

Now Luke sat in the cockpit of the _Falcon _behind Solo's chair--the Corellian and the Wookiee Chewbacca were playing dejarik while the 'droids spectated and Ben slept--watching space go by, wondering which of the planets out there the Clone Wars had affected, which remembered it, which Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader had walked on...

Luke wasn't sure where he got these images, but they were old and ingrained, only added to by the multifaceted information on the Jedi Ben had provided. The planet was steamy, with rust and gray rock underfoot, ragged ferns growing head-height, water dripping that made Luke's mouth water but had some taint to it, like an alien poison.

Ben was there, not unlike the old wizard was now, picking his way through the plants lightsaber hilt in hand. Anakin Skywalker was there, somewhat like he had been before, like a Luke-clone dressed in tan and red spacer's equipment. Darth Vader was there, and it took the younger Skywalker a moment to get his resolution as a tall, dark-haired teen wearing a portion of the black mask and life support that typified him in holovids and legend, like he was of some nature that the natural atmosphere would or had damaged his eyes, nose and mouth.

The stars dizzied and distracted Luke; he looked at a display light on the _Falcon_'s computer, wondering what is did while

The past's Ben Kenobi said, "Wait a moment." and passed into the foliage, taking with him a point of Luke's point of view that quested for where he went. Anakin and Darth Vader stopped and held their position, Anakin folding his arms and standing quietly Kenobi-ish, while Darth paced and swept his black cloak around him.

From Luke's point of view, Anakin said...nothing.

Darth began with, "I'm going after him."

Anakin caught his friend's shoulder with almost a slap. "No you're not. Not again."

Vader's mask made his turn to face Anakin look like a dog's reflexive snap when a child steps on its tail; otherwise the Jedi Knight was expressionless. "He's not _always _right, Skywalker."

Anakin went to speak, and Ben pushed through the ferns again. The apprentices came to casual attention.

Luke was nearly sleeping, wondering What would have been a Jedi's mission? Something extraordinary, like the exploits of the strange looking beings that searched krayt dragon's caves.

Ben led them through some tall, waving plant to a new landscape, one where jagged sheets of rock made a spike-infused plain. Just between it and the three there was a small lake, and an island with slabs of this rock forming a cave or shelter. The sky was red-purple and cloudless, or more likely all cloud.

Ben told the apprentices to wait and to use the Force, and stones rose up from the bottom of the lake, white blocks that floated as long as Anakin and Darth Vader kept their eyes on them. Ben walked across, his cloak stirring up the water that bubbled and popped. It was boiling; that explained...

Ben disappeared inside, seeking out some source of power or information or a weapon for the good of the galaxy. Anakin fidgeted, wanting the adventure of his own promise.

"Why don't you go with him?" said Vader. "I'll hold the path."

Anakin hesitated, then said "Okay."

He stepped out, stepped again. The _Millennium Falcon _shivered.

Darth Vader released whatever power it was that held the stones out of the superheated water. Anakin simply disappeared with a splash and a shock, and Ben Kenobi rushed out of the monolith, with Vader looking into the strange sky in exultation and decision.

But it couldn't have happened like that. Not a cold-blooded betrayal...but it had...Luke opened his eyes, sighed, rearranged himself and tried not to focus on the stars. Pain showed itself in a sigh and a deepness in his blue eyes, something he felt not as depth but as sadness beginning to cake with time and other emotions...the galaxy still turned after individual's worlds rocked.

Chewbacca barked something that echoed in the metal halls. Luke shrugged his cloak off, beginning to adjust to the cool temperature that was almost unpleasant though he had never comprehended such a possibility before, and went out into the hall.


End file.
